TOI correspondent from Washington: In a city where monuments are usually carved in stone or cast in bronze, a new installation has boldly gone where no presidential honor has gone before: to the toilet. Yes, a 10-foot-tall gold toilet — titled “A Throne Fit for a King” — has appeared on the National Mall, thanks to a guerrilla art collection known only as “Secret Handshake.” It is, according to its arrogant creators, an homage to Trump’s priorities. This statue satirizes the real estate broker-turned-president’s much-discussed White House renovations—particularly his decision to renovate the Lincoln Bath and build a ballroom as the nation grappled with inflation and war.A plaque at the site helpfully explains the artistic vision, praising Trump as “a visionary who looked down, saw a problem, and then painted it gold.” If The Golden Throne sounds like a joke, it’s only the latest in what has become a full-fledged comedic universe of Trump satires. Earlier this month, Secret Handshake unveiled a towering sculpture depicting Trump and the late Jeffrey Epstein reenacting the famous ship’s bow scene from Titanic.
Called “King of the World,” the piece has Trump played by Leonardo DiCaprio — arms outstretched, wind in his signature hair — while Epstein plays his counterpart Kate Winslet. Before that came “Best Friends Forever,” a statue of Trump and Epstein prancing side by side like oversized toddlers on a playdate.Taken together, the installations reveal something bigger than any single sculpture: a parody of the president who became the butt of jokes that has now turned into a joke for butts. He is, depending on who you ask, either a misunderstood branding genius or a walking meme template with a spray tan. His critics see him as the ultimate satirical muse – a man whose matter-of-fact statements often sound like parody, requiring artists only to push reality a few inches further into the ridiculous.In fact, the Internet has enthusiastically embraced this ethos. Trump appears daily as everything from a Roman emperor to a fast food mascot to gold-plated bathroom fixtures.
The bathroom installation also includes rolls of toilet paper named Secret Handshake, because in modern political discourse, even funny phrases come with merchandise.Reactions to the artworks were predictably polarized. Both Trump critics and supporters take selfies for different reasons. Critics hail the installations as sharp political commentary and a victory for freedom of expression. Meanwhile, supporters assert that it excites the core so much that they spend millions on gold toilets just to have it. Some are so dedicated to their bottom line, they even sell illicit T-shirts bearing an image of the toilet with the slogan “Even His Idiocy Is Chic.”
